Stories this week at WFU
U.N. REMAINS RELEVANT DESPITE BREAKDOWN – Jonathan Marks, a visiting scholar in the Wake Forest School of Law and an international law and human rights expert, says the U.N. Security Council’s refusal to pull the plug on weapons inspections in Iraq demonstrates the strength of the United Nations in the face of great pressure from the U.S., the U.K. and Spain. “People talk about a breakdown in diplomacy and the start of war as being an example of the failure of the United Nations, but I don’t agree,” Marks said. “The permanent members of the United Nations did not allow themselves to be strong-armed by the United States and the United Kingdom into going to war when it was something they did not believe was justified. In that sense, I think the United Nations has stuck up for itself.” Marks, who is a practicing English barrister, says that it will be acknowledged in some circles that war with Iraq is a wrongful act by the United States and the U.K.; however, those countries will not face serious repercussions because of their lofty positions in the United Nations and their relative world power. To arrange an interview with Marks, contact Jacob McConnico at mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
HEALTH OF U.S. RELATIONS ABROAD DEPENDS ON OUTCOME OF WAR – “The war’s impact on U.S. foreign relations with countries outside of the Arab world depends a lot on how bloody the conflict is and how U.S. troops are welcomed after the war,” says Pete Furia, assistant professor of political science at Wake Forest. “There is also the potential for fallout from a terrorist attack on U.S. interests in a country with which we’re friendly.” Furia, who teaches a contemporary U.S. foreign policy class at Wake Forest, says the war will inevitably have a negative impact on U.S. relations with the Arab world, but if a successful war allows the U.S. to downscale its military presence in the Gulf, then the long-term impact could be positive. To arrange an interview with Furia, contact Jacob McConnico at mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
WEB SITE PROVIDES WAR-RELATED STORIES, EXPERTS FOR MEDIA – The News Service has prepared a list of university experts available to comment on stories related to a war in Iraq. Sources range from experts on international law and presidential communication to scholars familiar with the topics of Islam and the economy during wartime. In addition, the News Service has created a special Web site where reporters can find stories related to the issue of the U.S. war with Iraq. The Web site is located from a link on the News Service home page, at www.wfu.edu/wfunews. To request the expert list, contact the News Service at 336-758-5237.
EPISCOPAL BISHOP, WORLD RELIGIOUS LEADER TO SPEAK AT WFU – The Rt. Rev. William E. Swing, Episcopal bishop of California and founder and president of the United Religions Initiative (URI), will speak at Wake Forest at 4 p.m. March 24 in the Magnolia Room (room 215) in Reynolda Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Swing, who founded URI in 1993 as an interfaith organization dedicated to promoting daily and enduring interactions among all of the world’s religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions, will discuss his thoughts and views on how people of different global faith traditions can talk and embrace one another. To arrange coverage of the event or an interview with Swing, contact Jacob McConnico at mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN THE 21ST CENTURY FOCUS OF WFU FORUM – The second public forum in a series of events organized by a group of faculty concerned with creating public debate about the question of war with Iraq and U.S. involvement in world affairs is scheduled for 7 p.m. March 25 in Annenburg auditorium in Carswell Hall. The forum, “Constructing an American Foreign Policy for the 21st Century,” will feature four panelists, two in favor of a U.S. war with Iraq and two opposed, who will address questions about the most significant world problems facing the United States. There will also be discussion about the appropriate response by patriots to the ongoing war, and participants will have a chance to ask questions during the forum. The first forum, held in February, brought more than 300 students, faculty and community members to the university’s Pugh Auditorium for a lively two-hour debate. To arrange coverage of the forum, contact Jacob McConnico at mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
WFU ALUMNI GIVE STUDENTS LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE CAREERS – Five Wake Forest alumni who have chosen careers at nonprofits and charitable foundations will talk to students during an 11 a.m. March 25 forum in room 401C of the university’s Benson University Center. The forum, “Making a Living While Making a Difference,” brings to campus five Wake Forest graduates who work for groups like the American Friends Service Committee in New York, Aids Action in Washington, D.C., and organizations with offices in Winston-Salem like Community Care Center, Points of Light Foundation and Youth Opportunities. The event is sponsored by the university’s Pro Humanitate Center, which was created in 2002 to coordinate the activities of a grant from the Lilly Endowment. The center’s mission is to help students explore the influence that values, ideals, human service experiences and faith can have on their careers and lives. For more information about the event, contact Jacob McConnico at mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
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